Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1887-10-19
JOSEPH cILLEYs DEATH.
Career and Demise Of the Oldest United
States Ex-senator.


States Ex-senator.
Col. Joseph Cilley, of Nottingham,
the Oldest ex-senator of the United
States, no was the first anti-slayery
senator in congress, and a veteran OF
the war of 1912, died Sept. II, aged
ninety-six. His. ancestors were OF much
note in New Hampshire, the great
grandfather having settled in Noting
ham in 1928, and the grandfather, Gen.
Joseph Cilley, having won fame as
revolutionary hero, and an officer on
the staff of Gen. Washington. His
brother, too, Hon. jonathan Cilley,
who, while a member congress from
Maine, was killed in a deul in 1888,
near Washington City, was of note in
that his daring words against slavery
are said to have been the cause of his
untimely death.
Joseph, Cilley was born in Noting
ham. January 4, 1871. In 1912 he en-
tered the army as ensign, and fought at
Sackett's Harbor, Chippewa and
Lundy's Lane. In this last engagement
he was lieutenant, as acting
captain in the regiment of the gal
liant Col. James Miller, and led COM
pany in the Heroic charge on the Brit
ish battery in which his laconic I'll
try, SIR" was his response to his gen.
erals question if he could silence the
English guns. While defending the
new position Capt Cilley was struck
by solid shot, sustaining a fracture
of the left thigh, which resulted in
permanent lameness. At Detroit he
lost the sight of an eye by an explosion
of powder in a magazine. In 1916 he
resigned his military commission, but
afterwards served in the militia as
quartermaster and as inspector, and in
1920 was appointed an aid on the staff
of Gov. Benjamin Pierce, in these SER
vices acquiring the title of colonel.
Until 1916 Col. Chilly led the life of
farmer, though he had served several
years as a county commissioner. In
1916, being nominated for governor by
the Wing convention, he declined to be
their candidate, but the same year he
was elected by the legislature to the
United States senatorship to fill the va
cancy caused by the resignation of
Hon. Levi Woodbury.. His senatorial
term was short, but enabled him
to form many pleasant &C
quaintances with Webster, Calhoun,
Benton and others. OF the members
of the senate from June, 1856, to
March, 1857, probably the only. sur
vivor now is ex-senator Yulee, of
Florida. On the close of his senatorial
services, Col. Cilley returned to his
farm, though he never lost his keen in
terest in public affairs. AS early as
1920 he was pronounced abolitionist,
and for many years cast the only abo-
lition vote in his town. His early
speeches were against slavery.
Said an eloquent divine of Col. Gil
ley: s.He was the first abolitionist who
held seat in the United States senate,
and long before the voices of John p.
Hale and Charles Sumner were heard
in the senate, Ciliey stood single
handed and alone in the senate, with
Joshua R. Giddings in the house, and
pleaded for liberty and the inalienable
rights of man. His honest voice,
rough though it may have been, was
lifted for liberty, unconditional and
universal, without compromise of any
kind. and, demanding the right OF
petition, be began presenting them by
the hundreds, asking for the abolition
of slavery in the District of Columbia
and in the territories"
Col. Cilley retained his faculties to a
remarkable degree even In his later
years. His form was bent, his hair
was white, but his voice firm and
strong and his hearing but slightly i'm
paired. He resided in the house built
by him in 1924, surrounded in his old
age by his children and grandchildren.
| Cilley was an uncle to Prof. Bradbury
|. Cilley, of Phillips Exeter Academy,
and Commander Greenleaf Cilley, OF
the United States Navy, and cousin
to Hon. R. P. Ciiley, of Manchester.